News & Events in Belarus

BREST, 27 September (BelTA) – Five wooden churches in Brest Oblast have been proposed for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List, BelTA learned from Vyacheslav Garbuzov, Deputy Head of the Ideology, Culture and Youth Affairs Department of the Brest Oblast Executive Committee.

The nomination file for the unique samples of religious wooden architecture of the Polesye region will be drafted in cooperation with the Belarusian Orthodox Church. Plans have been made to include in the nomination file the St. Nicetas Church in the village of Zditovo, Zhabinka District, the St. Paraskeva Church in Zbirogi, the St. Michael Church in Chersk, Brest District, the St. Michael Church (basilica type) in the village of Stepanki, Zhabinka District, and the St. Paraskeva Church with a bell tower in the village of Divin, Kobrin District.

“Each of these wooden temples dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries are unique in a kind of way. They underwent minor modifications and preserved their original design. These churches reflect the local architectural traditions,” Vyacheslav Garbuzov emphasized. He added that the preparation of the sites for the nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List will be a demanding and time-consuming process. For instance, it will be necessary to collect archive materials, study the common and individual characteristics of the Polesye temples in comparison with the Ukrainian and Russian architecture, and conduct a scientific assessment of the project with the assistance of international experts.

An integrated work plan will be adopted at a meeting of the coordinating council for conservation of the historical and cultural heritage of Brest Oblast. The nomination file is scheduled for submission to the World Heritage Committee by 2020. Plans have been made to include the Belarusian wooden churches in the wooden architecture protection nomination that already features architectural monuments of Poland and Slovakia.